WASHINGTON — John Wall on Saturday napped midafternoon, with air compression sleeves on both legs.

The Washington Wizards point guard awoke and headed to Verizon Center, and at 5:10 p.m. ET, Wall began his pregame routine on the court with Wizards assistant coach Sam Cassell. At 5:23, he shook hands at midcourt with Atlanta Hawks guard Lou Williams and, at 5:31, retreated to the locker room.

With 4:56 left in the first quarter, Wall checked into a game for the first time this season. He had been sidelined since late September when doctors diagnosed him with a stress injury to his left kneecap. He missed his first shot and absorbed a foul on his next attempt. He made one of two free throws.

With that, Wall's long-awaited return finally arrived.

Maybe not as soon as Wall or the Wizards wanted. The struggling Wizards (6-28) desperately missed his presence in the first 10 weeks of the regular season. But though Wall is on restricted minutes as he gets in game shape, the Wizards rediscovered what they had missed in their 93-83 victory against the Hawks.

"Everybody is waiting to see what you are going to do when you come back," Wall said. "I was nervous at first. Everybody is nervous any game they have until they touch the ball. The first couple of shots were rusty, and some at the end. As long as we got the win and did the right thing."

Wall had 14 points, four assists and two rebounds in 22 minutes – with his mother, Frances Pulley, in attendance. She has been in Washington all week, helping her son prepare for his return. However, Wall told USA TODAY Sports he has had to refrain from her Southern cooking.

"It was a big day for me today, seeing how I would feel after only going through practice," Wall said. "My homeboys, my boys at home, were joking, happy the whole day. I was just trying to stay calm and take a nap. I'm just excited to get back out there with my teammates and play in front of the D.C. crowd and help my team get a win."

Wall said his knee didn't bother him.

"I just wanted to make sure to not be super out of control," he said.

The Wizards have been stung by injuries — to several players — all season, but Wall's return marks a new beginning for Washington's 2012-13 season. Fair or not, the Wizards will be judged on how they play the rest of the season.

With speedy Wall running the offense, the Wizards pushed the tempo. Late in the first quarter, he delivered his first assist of the season to rookie shooting guard Bradley Beal for a dunk in transition. That's a 1-2 combo the Wizards and their fans have waited four months to see. The potential is obvious. Later in the game, Wall drove to the basket and passed the ball across the court to Beal, who made a three-pointer.

Naturally, Wall showed signs of rust. He just recently returned to practice with no limits and this week completed three consecutive days of practice for the first time this season.

His timing is off. He threw one alley-oop to forward Jan Vesely too high and another too low and under the rim.

But the production, dazzle and speed — that was there. Wall finished the third quarter with a driving three-point play, blowing by guard Devin Harris and giving Washington a 73-66 lead. His reverse layup with 3:52 left in the fourth quarter put the Wizards up 87-77 and another driving layup — again too quick to defend — gave the Wizards a 91-78 lead with 2:10 left.

He wasn't finished. Leading the fast break, Wall delivered a behind-the-back pass with his left hand to Trevor Ariza for a dunk.

"John's the maestro. We have to get out and run now. He has great timing," Wizards forward Martell Webster said. "With John, you can see a lot with his eyes. He'll tell you with his eyes."

Wall provided more than points and assists. He impacted the outcome with his court sense. When the Wizards had offensive lulls late in the fourth quarter, Wall steadied the pace. The Wizards have missed that all season.

"I played seven minutes straight, that's what I needed," Wall said. "My teammates trusted me and coaches gave me the ball and told me to make plays, and basically I did that."

Without Wall, it's quite possible Washington would have imploded and frittered the lead.

"Having John back was good for them from a morale standpoint," Hawks guard Kyle Korver said.

It was Washington's first win against Atlanta in four tries this season and the first time the Wizards have won consecutive games this season.

It was just one game, but Wall made a difference. Precisely what the Wizards wanted and needed.

Posted!

Lakers guard Kobe Bryant tore the Achilles tendon in his left foot and will miss the rest of the season, including the playoffs. Flip through this gallery for more of the NBA's biggest current injuries.
Richard Mackson, USA TODAY Sports